Multiple image display device

Abstract: Several image-holding panels, having running rollers at their upper corners, rest with the rollers upon parallel running tracks that are inclined from an input end to an output end. A transfer device, which may be a chain, collects the panel which arrives in turn by gravity to the output end of the magazine and transfers it to the input end of the same or of another magazine.

Description: This invention is concerned with an image display device, particularly for advertising images, such as bills for newspapers and magazines in newsstands, product publicity in supermarkets and stores, advertising messages and program information in banks, sports grounds, airports and railways stations, open-air events and similar situations. Traditionally, advertising and other communication in situations such as mentioned above are delivered to the public by displaying posters, bills and the like, which are posted on free wall areas on commercial premises. However, as the quantity of information to be presented to the public increases, often in connection with the development of commercial services, the display area is often insufficient. Moreover, even where it is possible to post all the desired bills on the wall, the messages, because of overcrowding, have little effectiveness in capturing the attention of the public. In order to display several bills or posters in one area, in an image display device, known from DE-U-1 939 947, a plurality of image-bearing panels hang from respective rods, having free-running rollers at opposite ends, which rollers run on parallel, inclined tracks, which are arranged within a cabinet, so that the outermost panels are visible from outside through windows in the cabinet. A pair of motor-driven, vertical, parallel chain loops have spaced hooks for grasping opposite ends of the rod attached to the panel which hangs at the lowermost end of said tracks and for carrying the panel over to the opposite end of the tracks. The panels run down from the upper to the lower end of the tracks under the action of gravity. A similar display device, disclosed in FR-A-421 088, has two pairs of oppositely inclined tracks arranged one above the other, and a number of vertical chains having means for lifting a panel from the lowermost end of the lower tracks to the uppermost end of the upper tracks, and for lowering a panel from the lowermost end of the upper tracks to the uppermost end of the lower tracks. Again, the device depends on gravity for moving the panels along the tracks. Both the above-mentioned image display devices are very sensitive to even slight inaccuracies in the spacing or in the leveling between the hooking members carried by the chains. For instance, if a panel is lifted by opposite hooking members which are at slightly differing vertical levels, the panel will lean more heavily on the lower member, and will tend to slide in its direction, thus possibly becoming unhooked at the other end. Moreover, even if the panel does not become unhooked, it will maintain a slanted position: consequently, its long hanging portion will give rise to considerable torques, thus stressing the chains abnormally and causing frictions or even disengagement of the chain from a gearwheel. In order to insure a smooth and problem-free operation in such display devices of the prior art, it was necessary to use high-accuracy machining in the production of all the parts of the display, including the cabinet, so that the device was unduly expensive. Moreover, the installation required an accurate leveling by means of a water level, and if the display device was subjected to a displacement or to an accidental bump (easy to happen in a public place), a new leveling procedure was likely to be required. It is therefore the main object of the invention to provide an image display device of the kind having panels hanging from inclined tracks, which has a high tolerance to defects and inaccuracies in dimensions and leveling, and which can therefore be manufactured at a low cost. The above object, as well as other objects and advantages that will appear from the disclosure, are achieved by the invention with a multiple image display device as recited in claim 1. The invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to preferred embodiments which are shown in the attached drawings, given by way of illustrative, nonlimiting example, and wherein: Fig. 1 is a front view of a image display device according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section, made along line II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front view, on an enlarged scale, of a detail of Fig. 1, showing an upper corner of an image-holding panel, hooked on a hooking pin, in a first position; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with the hooking pin in a second position; Fig. 5 is an end view of the detail of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a view, partially broken away and on an enlarged scale, of another detail of Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a front view of a coupling plate of Fig. 6, on a reduced scale. With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, an image display device according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a cabinet 10, laterally closed by vertical walls 12, 14 and having, on its two opposite fronts, rectangular windows 16, 18, 20, 22, which are superposed in pairs which are divided by respective horizontal bars such as 24. The cabinet is preferably made of bent and welded metal sheet. Parallel running tracks, comprising straight, inclined cylindrical rods 26, 28 have their lower ends bent squarely in 31 to form abutments, and are attached at midheight to side walls 12, 14, respectively. Several image-holding panels 30, described below with reference to Fig. 3 to 5, are hung to tracks 26, 28. For fastening to the walls, the rods forming running tracks 26, 28 are provided with welded brackets such as 32, 34, having holes through which they are bolted to channel- or box-shaped sections 36, 38, which in turn are welded to the walls. The holes of at least one of the brackets, say 34, are made as slots (not visible in the Figures) so that the position of the associated running track can be adjusted in a vertical and a horizontal direction, within a range of 1 or 2 centimeters. With this provision, the tracks 26, 28 can be aligned with precision, in spite of even large errors form the nominal reference positions on the walls, due to manufacturing tolerances of cabinet 10. As shown on Figs. 3 to 5, an image-holding panel 30 comprises a rectangular plate 38 of metal sheet or other material, e.g. of a synthetic material, which is welded or bonded on one side to a tubular staff 40 which projects on opposite sides beyond the profile of plate 38 in the shape of stubs such as 42, having their ends partially undercut to form downward-pointing recesses 44. The stubs 42 bear respective rollers 46, each having a peripheral groove, and each being held axially between the corner of plate 38 and a retaining screw 47. The opposite sides of plate 38 are adapted for holding bills or posters, which are attached with clips, nails, magnetic pieces or other known means. Each panel 30 rests with both rollers 46 on opposite running tracks 26, 28, and the gravity force pushes alla panels 30 in a stack against abutments 31. Two loop-linked chains 48, 50, running on gearwheels 52, 54, 56, 58 extend along side walls 12, 14, inside the walls and outside running tracks 26, 28, with two vertical spans of which one is aligned with tubular staff 36 of the panel which is adjacent to abutments 31, the other with the opposite end of the running track. Gearwheels 52, 54, 56 on both side walls are idle, and are mounted by means of bearings on stationary pins (not visible in the Figures) projecting inwardly from brackets which are generally channel irons 60 welded to the wall. For supporting gearwheels 52 and 54 on wall 14, as shown on Figs. 6 and 7, a rectangular plate 62, welded to the wall, has five threaded bores in which respective screws 64 are engaged to attach an ajustable plate 66 to plate 62, the adjustable plate having five corresponding slots 68, where the adjustable plate can be adjusted in height in a wide range. Adjustable plate 66 carries two welded, threaded pins 70, which in turn carry respective bearings 74, fastened with nuts 72. The gearwheels are welded to the outside track of each bearing 74. Nuts 72 allow the axial position of gearwheels 52, 54 to be adjusted indipendently of each other. Gearwheels 58, i.e. the driving wheels of the respective chains, are keyed on a common transverse shaft 76, which is rotatably mounted on a pivoted frame 78 and is driven by an electric motor 80, mounted on the same frame, by means of a transmission 82. The frame is pivoted to brackets carried by a bedplate, preferably by means of damping blocks, and is kept under tension by stretching means not shown. The chains are partly guided by chain-confining pads such as 84, which consist in laths of a frictionless material fastened to the walls, whereby the chain is accurately positioned. At intervals along both chains 48, 50, pins 90 project inwardly and, during their rising motion, hook (see Fig. 3) the recesses borne by the stubs of the panel 30 that happens to be resting against abutments 31. The panel is therefore lifted vertically along the window and then moved across to the opposite window, and finally lowered until it comes to rest at the high end of the running tracks. Motor 80 runs intermittently, preferably under control of one or more position detectors, such as microswitches not shown, so that the panels will halt in positions at register with the windows. The image display device of the invention further includes a third, auxiliary chain 100, which is arranged on a side wall 12 of the cabinet, in a substantially triangular loop, having a vertically descending span along the ascending span of chain 48 and a horizontal span which is substantially parallel to running track 26. Auxiliary chain 100 is carried on three idle gearwheels 102, 104, 106, with a chain-stretching sprocket 108. An intermediate gearwheel 110 trasmits motion from chain 48 to the auxiliary chain, whereby the latter will move in a direction opposite to the former. One of the links of auxiliary chain 100 carries a pin 112, projecting inwardly, and synchronized with pins 90 of chains 48 and 50 so that it will run along the inner side of a panel during its rise in the vertical span and then follows the panel during its transverse movement, thus preventing the panel from jolting or swinging under the dynamic forces in transfer, which would be unpleasant to the sight. The gearwheel 106 at the back is axially displaced outwardly with respect to the vertical plane of the other gearwheels 102, 104, so that pin 112 will progressively move away from the panel over the horizontal span, until the panel is completely disengaged at the end of its horizontal movement. According to the invention, the upper idle gearwheels 52 and 54 of main chains 48, 50 are closer to their mates on the opposite wall than both driving wheels 58, so that the chain-confining laths correspondingly converge. Consequently, both chains will converge upwards in the rising span, and diverge downwardly on the opposite side of the cabinet. The distance is chosen so that the ends of pins 90, which project from the chains for a length larger than the length of recesses 44, will at first hook the recesses alone (see approaching step on Fig. 3) and then, as the chain rises in the rising span, the pins will move into the tubular portion of the stubs (Fig. 4), subsequently diverging again in the descending span, where the panel again rests with the recesses only, so that the panel can be dropped and unhooked on the running tracks. Without the above arrangement, in case of defective leveling of cabinet 10 or defective alignment between opposite gearwheels (particularly the upper ones, 52 and 54) which would cause the upper edge of the panel to slant slightly, the panel might slip sidewards on the opposite hooking pins, and possibly become disengaged. Because of the above arrangement, however, the upper staff of the panel is confined between the chains and cannot become disengaged in any case. Accordingly, the image display device of the invention can be installed on a ground or floor that is only roughly horizontal, without having to level the cabinet with a water level, as would be necessary otherwise. In conclusion, the image display device of the invention can be manufactured with cheap techniques of metal carpentry, rather than with precision machining. For instance, the cabinet is made with metal sheet that is cut in shears and bent in a bending press, and the parts are welded by spot welding, with tolerances in the range of one centimeter; plates and brackets are welded to the side wall of the cabinet as disclosed above, also with wide tolerances, since any misalignments can be adjusted during assembly, by means of the slot mounts mentioned above. Finally, any small defects of alignments or leveling of the cabinet on the ground can be tolerated because, as shown above, they do not cause malfunction. The image display device described above and shown on Figs. 1 to 7 is provided, as a rule, of fixtures such as timers for controlling the movement of the panels, which will usually be arranged in the base of the cabinet, microswitches acting as position detectors, arranged in predetermined, crucial points in the path of the panels, program or operating mode selectors, lighting lamps, e.g. tube lamps arranged on the sides of the windows, and the like. These fixtures are neither shown in the Figures nor described above, either because they are not essential to the invention or because they are obvious for the person skilled in the art.

Claims: A multiple image display device, comprising a plurality of image-bearing panels (30) hanging from respective rods (40), each bearing two rollers (46) and respective projections extending beyond the rollers, at their opposite ends, which rollers run freely on parallel, inclined tracks (28) arranged within a cabinet (10) with windows (16, 18, 20, 22), and a pair of vertical, parallel main chain loops (48, 50) driven by timed motor means (76-82) and having lifting means (90) for hooking opposite ends of the rod (40) attached to the panel (30) which hangs at the lowermost end of said tracks and for carrying it over to the opposite end of the tracks, characterized in that the main chain loops have ascending vertical spans aligned with the lower ends of the running tracks and extending from respective pairs of lower wheels (58) to respective pairs of upper wheels (52) which are closer to one another than said lower wheels. The display device of claim 1, characterized in that said projections on the panel rods are formed with downwardly open recesses (44) and said lifting means are pins (90) projecting inwardly from the main chains to engage the recesses. The display device of claim 2, characterized in that said downwardly open recesses (44) extend into tubular portions (42) away from the respective end of the rod (40). The display device of any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further comprises an auxiliary chain loop (100) arranged between said ascending vertical spans of the main chain loops (48, 50) and descending spans of the main chain loops and driven synchronously with said main chain, so that a projection (112) carried by the auxiliary chain acts as an abutment for the panel to prevent swinging during transferral. The display device of claim 4, characterized in that said auxiliary chain loop (100) runs on gearwheels (102, 104, 106) substantially in the plane of one of said main chain loops (48), the auxiliary chain having a span parallel to the rising span of the adjacent main chain in the area above said running tracks, and being driven synchronously and in a contrary direction with said main chain. The image display device of claim 5, characterized in that an idle gearwheel (110) is arranged between the adjacent vertical spans of the auxiliary chain (100) and of the adjacent main chain (48) and engages both chains, whereby motion is transmitted from the main chain to the auxiliary chain. The image display device of claim 6, characterized in that the auxiliary chain (100) has a substantially horizontal span which diverges from the vertical plane of the running track (28), whereby said projection moves out to disengage the panel (30) at the end of its horizontal travel. The image display device of one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the upper gearwheels (52, 54) of said main chains (48, 50) are rotatably supported on stationary pivots (70) projecting from a coupling plate (66) having slot apertures (68) by which the coupling plate is bolted in an adjustable position on a plate (62) attached to the cabinet wall. The image display device of one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that each of said running tracks (26, 28), comprises a cylindrical rod provided with integral brackets (32) having slot apertures for screw attachment in an adjustable position to a member (36) integral with the side wall of the cabinet. The image display device of claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the cabinet (10) is made of metal sheets welded to one another, and that said plates (60) and said track-mounting members (36) are welded to the side walls. The image display device of one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that one of the supporting gearwheels (58) of each of the main chains (48, 50) is a driving wheel and in that both driving wheels are integral with a single shaft (76) extending transversely between the opposite side walls of the cabinet and being driven by an electric motor (80). The image display device of claim 11, characterized in that the shaft (76) and the motor (80) are mounted on a rigid frame (78) that is pivoted on a horizontal transverse axis, and is biased by traction means to maintain the main chains under tension. The image display device of claim 12, characterized in that the pivoting axis of said frame is near the base of the cabinet. The image display device of one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that said main chains (48, 50) are guided between chain-confining laths (84) at least along their vertical spans.

Inventors: CASATI GIUSEPPE, CASATI, GIUSEPPE
Applicants: MEZZI ALTERNATIVI MAIS & ASSOC, MEZZI ALTERNATIVI MAIS & ASSOCIATI S.R.L.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: G09F11
IPC codes: G09F11